Moving to Ohio from Iowa
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iowa to Ohio? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iowa to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 3.4% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $76,116 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbus averages 76°F vs 60°F in Des Moines, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iowa and Ohio.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,116
To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.3% less
Groceries
pay 3.0% more
Transportation
pay 36.2% more
Housing
pay 5.1% more
Childcare
pay 0.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.6% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Ohio cost about 1% less than cities in Iowa.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Ohio compared to Iowa.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa performs better than Ohio across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Iowa performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs better than Ohio across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa generally does better on infrastructure, though Ohio leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Iowa performs better than Ohio across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Iowa generally does better on family life, though Ohio leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Des Moines | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 84°/62°F (29°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 90°/71°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Ohio than Iowa?
Ohio and Iowa are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Ohio?
Budget about $19,029 for 3 months in Ohio (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Ohio safe?
Iowa performs better than Ohio across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Ohio compared to Iowa?
Iowa performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Ohio compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
